PTET - godless culture

Even Jesus' own disciples doubted...

"Even Jesus' own disciples doubted, and most of them were actually THERE and personally witnessed many of his miracles. In fact, they were even there and actually saw Jesus ascend into heaven. Now that to me would be unquestionably convincing proof - but still they doubted what they saw, trying desperately, one might imagine, to rationalize what had just happened. Fortunately the Holy Spirit came upon them and opened their minds to 'the secrets' Paul referred to in his letter. But such is not the case with all people. Those who will believe will believe in faith and those who will not, simply will not. No miraculous scientific breakthrough will reveal the truth to unbelievers. The Bible is clear that this is not God's plan, so for a Christian or Theologian to seek out a scientific means by which he can convert unbelievers is as fruitless a pursuit as it is for the unbeliever to seek out someone to do it for him. The laws of nature, physics, and science were never intended to produce the answers:"

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the
deeds of the law." Romans 3:28

tutuzdad-ga, Google Answers: science & the bible, 13 Apr 2004 08:38 PDT

This is just another interpretation of course - but it raises a similar question to that of Jesus' warning about Capernaum... If even those who witnesses his "miracles" first-hand did not believe them, then how - reasonably and rationally - can we? And how - reasonably and rationally - can God punish us in any way for our reasonable & rational failure to believe?

Outside Fundamentalist apologetics, most philosophers of religion have accepted that faith requires a suspension of reason. Some have argued that this suspension is itself "reasonable" - but how can it be? It leaves us with no grounds to distinguish one set of miraculous claims from any other...